Twin Brothers Convicted of Deleting Government Databases Maintained by Former Employer Opexus
Muneeb Akhter deleted around 96 databases in the hour after his February 18, 2025 termination from Opexus, including a Department of Homeland Security system, while his brother Sohaib Akhter faced conviction on related charges. Both had prior 2015 hacking convictions that standard seven-year background checks missed. A federal jury in Alexandria convicted Sohaib Akhter on May 7, 2026.
indiatoday.intoday.inU.S. government information within a single hour on February 18, 2025. m.
On February 18, 2025. Muneeb Akhter's account remained active after the meeting. m. U.S. government database maintained by his company, issued commands to prevent other users from connecting or making changes, and then deleted the database.
M. Muneeb Akhter wiped out a Department of Homeland Security database using the command DROP DATABASE dhsproddb. One minute later he asked an AI tool how to clear system logs from SQL servers after deleting databases.
He later asked how to clear all event and application logs from Microsoft Windows Server 2012. During the February 18, 2025 incident Muneeb Akhter downloaded 1,805 files belonging to the EEOC and stashed them on a USB drive. He grabbed federal tax information for at least 450 people.
Sohaib Akhter observed Muneeb Akhter cleaning out their database backups. m. on February 18, 2025, while deleting databases, Sohaib Akhter suggested to Muneeb Akhter that he should have had a kill script for blackmailing Opexus for money.
Muneeb Akhter replied that blackmailing Opexus would be obvious proof of guilt. During the same conversation Sohaib Akhter said they also had to clean stuff up from the other house. Muneeb Akhter and Sohaib Akhter queried an AI tool on how to clear SQL server logs and Windows event logs during the incident.
They reinstalled the operating systems on their company laptops to destroy evidence afterward. A co-conspirator whose identity is not specified wiped both company laptops by reinstalling the OS on February 21-22, 2025. The sabotage capped months of credential abuse.
Muneeb Akhter collected approximately 5,400 usernames and passwords from Opexus's network and built custom scripts to test the collected usernames and passwords against external sites including Marriott and DocuSign. He successfully logged into accounts using stolen credentials and in some cases used victims' airline miles.
On February 1, 2025, Muneeb Akhter asked Sohaib Akhter for the plaintext password of an individual who had filed a complaint through the EEOC Public Portal.
Sohaib Akhter ran a database query and provided the plaintext password to Muneeb Akhter. Muneeb Akhter used the obtained EEOC complainant credentials to access the complainant's email without authorization. 2 million lines of full names, email addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses, and password hashes.
2 million line data file was stored across Muneeb Akhter's personal laptop, Android phone, external hard drive, and cloud accounts. py and ran credential-stuffing attacks on hotels, airlines, and banks. com.
He continued actively using the stolen credentials from May 2025 until his arrest on December 3, 2025. Muneeb Akhter used stolen American Airlines miles twice: 29,000 miles for a SLC to DC flight on November 29, 2025 that he took, and 14,500 miles for another ticket he booked but did not use. The brothers' actions followed a decade-old criminal record.
In 2015, Muneeb Akhter and Sohaib Akhter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to access protected computers without authorization. U.S. State Department systems and a private company and stealing personal data.
Muneeb Akhter received a 39-month prison sentence for the 2015 crimes. Both served their prison sentences and were released. By 2023-2024, Muneeb Akhter and Sohaib Akhter had obtained engineering roles at Opexus, formerly known as AINS.
Opexus systems host sensitive government data on servers in Ashburn, Virginia. Its flagship products are FOIAXpress and the eCASE suite. Opexus conducted standard background checks covering roughly seven years.
The seven-year background checks by Opexus missed the brothers' 2015 convictions. Opexus later admitted that additional diligence should have been applied in hiring the Akhter brothers. The individuals responsible for hiring the Akhter brothers at Opexus are no longer with the company.
On February 18, 2025, the FDIC flagged Sohaib Akhter's prior conviction during a background check for a potential new role at the FDIC Office of Inspector General. Muneeb Akhter had a separate aggravated identity theft count from August 2022 involving someone’s passport and personal info.
On February 24, 2025, Muneeb Akhter fled with a government-issued PIV card along with his personal laptop and phone.
30-caliber ammunition. 38 Special revolver. Muneeb Akhter pleaded guilty to computer fraud and destruction of records. On May 7, 2026, a federal jury in Alexandria convicted Sohaib Akhter on three counts: conspiracy to commit computer fraud, password trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Sohaib Akhter faces a maximum of 21 years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on September 9, 2026. Muneeb Akhter faces potential penalties up to 45 years. @zerohedge reported the details of the case drawn from court documents, government statements and company admissions.
Key Facts
Story Timeline
7 events- 2015
Muneeb Akhter and Sohaib Akhter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to access protected computers without authorization for hacking U.S. State Department systems.
1 source@zerohedge - 2023-2024
The brothers obtained engineering roles at Opexus after standard seven-year background checks missed their 2015 convictions.
1 source@zerohedge - February 1, 2025
Muneeb Akhter asked Sohaib Akhter for an EEOC complainant's plaintext password, which was provided and used without authorization.
1 source@zerohedge - February 18, 2025
Opexus fired both brothers; Muneeb Akhter then deleted around 96 government databases, including a DHS system, within one hour while the pair discussed covering tracks.
2 sourcescourt documents · @zerohedge - February 24, 2025
Muneeb Akhter fled with a government-issued PIV card, personal laptop and phone.
1 source@zerohedge - December 3, 2025
Muneeb Akhter and Sohaib Akhter were arrested.
1 source@zerohedge - May 7, 2026
Federal jury in Alexandria convicted Sohaib Akhter on three counts including conspiracy to commit computer fraud and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
1 sourcefederal jury
Potential Impact
- 01
Potential 45-year maximum sentence for Muneeb Akhter and 21-year maximum for Sohaib Akhter following convictions.
- 02
Loss of approximately 96 federal databases containing FOIA records, investigative files and taxpayer data hosted on Ashburn, Virginia servers.
- 03
Exposure of at least 450 individuals' federal tax information plus 1,805 EEOC files downloaded to USB.
- 04
Compromise of victim accounts at hotels, airlines and banks through credential stuffing and recovery email changes to attacker-controlled domains.
- 05
Opexus replaced hiring personnel and acknowledged insufficient diligence on prior criminal records for roles handling sensitive government case-management systems.
Transparency Panel
Related Stories
The GuardianWHO Chief Visits DRC as Ebola Death Rate Reaches 30-50%
World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to support containment of a new Ebola outbreak. The agency revised the death rate to 30-50% based on confirmed cases and recorded 10 confirmed and 223 suspected d…
westernjournal.comGreek National Charged in UK With Aiding Iran-Linked Intelligence Service
A 46-year-old Greek man living in Germany was charged under the UK National Security Act with assisting an intelligence service believed to be Iran by targeting a journalist at Iran International.
straitstimes.comJournalists in Gaza to Receive 2026 Golden Pen of Freedom Award
Three international news agencies will accept the award on behalf of their local staff still reporting from the territory. The World Association of News Publishers cited the journalists' continued coverage under extreme conditions.